1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for controlling ectoparasites. In particular, the invention relates to methods and compositions for inhibiting hatching of an ectoparasite egg. The invention also provides methods and compositions for preventing or treating ectoparasite infestation. The invention also relates to methods for identifying compounds that can inhibit ectoparasite egg hatching.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ectoparasites including some insects cause significant pest problems in a wide variety of animals and plants. In particular, ectoparasites typically can annoy, bite, and cause infections to humans and domesticated animals. Of particular concern is the presence and effect of such parasites on humans, household pets or companion animals, such as dogs and cats, and other domesticated animals, such as sheep, cattle and horses. Of equal concern is that ectoparasites can also cause significant damage to plants. Larvae can eat leaves, flowers and fruit of commercially important plants causing millions of dollars of damage every year.
Various compositions and application techniques are known for controlling or eliminating plant pests, such as caterpillars, moths and butterflies, and biting or blood-sucking pests (ectoparasites), such as fleas, ticks, flies, lice and mites. Over the years a host of aerosols and space sprays, liquids, soaps, shampoos, wettable powders, granules, baits, and dusts, have been proposed for the control of such ectoparasites.
Conventional control measures for ectoparasites have relied on the use of chemical insecticides, for example chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT, endosulfan etc), and synthetic and natural pyrethroids (pyrethrin, permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin). Problems associated with the use of chemical pesticides include the development of resistance by target ectoparasites, the persistence of the chemicals in the environment and in plant and animal tissues, and the harmful effects on host and non-target organisms.
Other types of ectoparasiticides include insecticides, such as insect growth regulators (IGRs) that are known to interfere with chitin synthesis and insecticidal bacterial toxins (e.g., Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins). More useful groups of insecticides are those having high insecticidal activity and low environmental persistence, such as organophosphates and natural pyrethrins. However, a significant problem associated with these insecticides is the development of resistance by target insects.
For example, insecticidal agents used to treat lice are described in EP 0191236 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,483. A significant disadvantage of using these agents is that lice can become resistant. The need for further treatment increases the exposure to these harsh agents and increases the cost. Additionally, clinicians and parents are reluctant to treat children with agents that can also prove toxic to human beings. Moreover, many of these compounds have unpleasant odors or other undesirable properties, causing noncompliance by the patient, leading to re-infestation of the individual, and spreading of the infestation to others. In addition, the harshness of these agents makes them unsuitable for use as prophylactics.
In the case of head lice infestation, home remedies such as application of corn oil, olive oil, eucalyptus oil, neem oil, coconut oil, mayonnaise, or petroleum jelly for a period of time sufficient to kill the lice (e.g., overnight) are not practical or completely effective. A further disadvantage of methods to treat head lice is the requirement of removing the eggs and nits from the hair in a separate treatment step. The removal of eggs and nits has typically been done by hand using special fine-tooth combs. Use of combing alone to treat eggs, nits and head lice has disadvantages that the eggs are difficult to remove and similarly lice can hold onto the hair shafts using their claws or escape by crawling away from the area being combed. This labor intensive method requires daily combing, is painful, and is unpleasant since the lice are active, visible and crawling.
There is a significant need for improved control of lice throughout the world. In particular, there are well-documented failures of products aimed at treating lice. The development of resistance of lice to many of the currently used chemicals including permethrin, pyrethrin and malathion is considered a major factor in treatment failures. In addition, inappropriate formulations containing suboptimal actives are also believed to be in part responsible for resistance development. More recently there has been significant growth in the market for herbal products for treating head lice however there is very little published evidence from properly conducted trials to enable an effective assessment of these products to be made. Furthermore while a number of products claim to possess ovicidal activity the evidence for this in the field is far from convincing hence it is common for products to recommend that following an initial treatment a second treatment should be given between 7-14 days later to kill newly emerged nymphs.
Development of resistance is also a problem with chemical control of ectoparasites that infest plants. Although biological and chemical control methods have also been used to control plant ectoparasites by controlling or killing larvae after they emerge from their eggs, such control reduces rather than eliminates the damage to plants caused by ectoparasites.
Recently attention has focused on insect proteases that may provide a possible means of ectoparasite control. Proteases perform a variety of functions in the organism including the regulation and breakdown of proteins and peptides, and thus assist with digestion. They are also involved in tissue reorganization during embryo development, moulting and pupation. Proteases are a widely variable group of enzymes and include digestive proteases that vary considerably both in number and in catalytic properties within and between species. For example, trypsin-like serine proteases have been recognized to be involved in the key growth regulatory area of moulting (Samuels R. I. and Paterson C. J., Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, 1995, 1108: 661-669).
Protease inhibitors have been suggested to be a useful alternative to the chemical control methods, particularly where the ectoparasites have become resistant to chemical pesticides. In particular, serine and cysteine protease inhibitors have been shown to reduce the larval growth and/or survival of various insects (Dymock et. al., New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1992, 19: 123-131). Growth inhibition has been achieved with inhibitors of principal digestive enzymes of the gut and have been targeted at ectoparasite larvae or mature parasites. However, little is known about other types of activity and function of various classes of protease inhibitors. A common problem of existing ectoparasiticides is that they do not effect the ectoparasite eggs and therefore application of the parasiticides to hosts often require repeated treatment or prolonged exposure to the parasiticide for it to be effective. This is not only inconvenient but also increases risks to the environment and to the host.
Accordingly, there remains a need for providing alternative methods and compositions that are effective in inhibiting ectoparasite egg hatching to provide efficient control of ectoparasites.